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Guest
Column: State Sen. Tom O'Mara

"What do you think?"

ALBANY, Jan. 9 -- When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo offered
up his second State of the State message in Albany’s Convention
Center last week and officially kicked off the Legislature’s 235th
annual session, the staging immediately delivered the unmistakable spirit
of the day and the title of this year’s address, “Building
a New NY…with you.”

Last
week’s reaffirmation of one of our government’s key traditions
marked only the second time throughout most of the past century that the
speech wasn’t delivered in the State Assembly Chamber, a move this
governor first made last year to allow for greater public attendance.
Agree or disagree (and there are always critics), it’s symbolic
yet again of what’s clearly been the driving hope behind this chief
executive’s style of leadership so far, which he expressed this
year this way in continuing to call up a new era in New York government:
“We put the politics aside and put the people first. And it worked.
And we worked. We delivered for the people – and we made this state
a better state and I was honored be a part of it with you.”

With these words in mind, then, let’s first recall some of 2011’s
hallmarks: A rare, as far as recent history goes, on-time state budget,
as well as a budget that contained no new or increased state taxes or
fees. A middle-class tax cut at the end of the year. The first year-to-year
state spending decrease in more than a decade. Property tax cap. Ethics
reform. A new Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission that
remains at work on the first major overhaul of the state bureaucracy since
the 1920s.

All of the above actions, and many others, were collectively welcomed
by a variety of the people’s representatives -- good-government,
business, environmental and other advocacy groups and government watchdogs,
to name just a few -- as one of the most meaningful and productive legislative
sessions in a long, long time. In other words, many people believed we
dug into more than a few of the right places last year and then stood
firm in our determination to produce some long-overdue successes.

None of this is to say, however, that it’s time to sit and rest
in the shade of past achievements. Far from it. In fact we’ve more
than got our work cut out for us to match last year’s accomplishments.
But it helps to make the point that “standing firm” might
be as good a guidepost as any other for the legislative session that’s
now under way. Will we stand firm on taxes, on controlling state spending,
on the need for even more aggressive economic development, on more efficient,
effective and cooperative government? I hope so. Put it this way: the
crowning achievements of 2011 continue to pinpoint the right places to
place our priorities this year.

So where, exactly, do we go from here? There are more than a few ideas
already on the table. For example, mandate relief remains crucial to the
successful implementation of the property tax cap. Governor Cuomo just
spelled out a comprehensive legislative blueprint for the Empire State
in this new year (which, for anyone interested, can be watched and read
on www.governor.ny.gov).

But at the outset I’d also like to encourage all of you to share
your own thoughts. One way to do this is through a new Legislative Questionnaire
that I’ve recently sent out (and will post online at www.omara.nysenate.gov).
This 2012 Questionnaire includes questions on the continuing and deep-rooted
economic and fiscal challenges facing the state as a whole, as well as
on some of the other key concerns facing the Southern Tier and Finger
Lakes regions – including mandate relief, ongoing Medicaid reform,
job creation, infrastructure development, and the future of the Marcellus
Shale natural gas industry. Obviously a short questionnaire can’t
possibly address every single issue, but your voices should be heard on
these and other challenges.